


The Hunger Games: Zodiac Culling

by beetective



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2019-07-14 22:37:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16049978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beetective/pseuds/beetective
Summary: Long before Katniss Everdeen, there was another that dare stood up to the Capitol's nightmarish ideals. They tried to cover it up, snuff out the seed that he planted. He was the first to defy them.But now the story is out.Follow the story of the 17th Hunger Games and the boy once named Gemini.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a project a started a little under a year ago when my friend got me talking about what kind of other arenas The Hunger Games might hold. I got interested in it - and now it seems I have developed a full story. Only two and a third unfinished chapter was made, due to school and personal life getting in the way. Now that I am almost finished High School, I think I am ready to finish that third chapter and try and finish the tale of my beloved Gemini. The first two chapters might seem a little odd as I wrote them months ago, but they are too much for me to rewrite. I hope you will enjoy this fan-made saga of an early games and enjoy the characters and story as much as I did.
> 
> This is my first big fan work, though not the first time writing fan fiction.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Part 1

Pre-Games

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 1

  
  


The first thing Gemini thought about his training buddies was they were idiots. 

Gemini thought a lot of things; mostly useless stuff that his parents or the children in District 1 would laugh at. He was not the sharing type.

“Tourmaline, put the cat down,” was all he said. Two guys and a girl were toying with one of the kids’ cat, Butterwinkle. He was a nasty cat who hated children and scratched them till they bleed, but that was understandable as Tourmaline held him by the tail. The cat screamed and hissed, throwing his claws around the teenagers at an attempt to harm them.

“God, you’re a downer, Gem,” Tourmaline snickered. The two boys standing next to her snickered along with her. They were not the sharpest tools in the shed, intelligence-wise.

The cat hissed and swang more intently, striking Tourmaline in the arm. “Shit!” she hissed as the cat dropped from her arm. She applied pressure using her other arm as a steady stream of blood flowed from where the cat struck Tourmaline. One of the boys kicked the cat as it ran away. It hissed and ran into the bushes.

Gemini stayed quiet - he knew not to do the whole ‘I told you so’ routine. If he did, he would probably get punched. Tourmaline moved her dark pink, almost brown hair out of her eyes. It was common in District 1 to dye your hair from its natural colour; it showed that you were rich and could afford such non-necessities. The two boys next to her both sported shaggy, dark green hair. They were twins.

Tourmaline moved away from the boys. “My training clothes are stained now thanks to that fucking cat,” she ranted. Her black tank top was splattered with her blood. “Who’s that cat belong to anyway?” asked one of the twins. “Miss Queens, I think,” Gemini put in. “Lets it run around during the day.”

“Oh, that little prissy brat? Running around hitting things and screaming about how she’s gonna win the Games?” Tourmaline asked. They had begun walking through the training grounds back to the spot where they put their gear; Tourmaline still clutching her arm.

“That would be her. She’s only seven and yet thinks she’s gonna win,” Gemini laughed. “Doesn’t the drawing start in two weeks?”.

“Yeah. Starts at the best District: 1,” Tourmaline answered. “Remember who won last year? Some little fourteen year old who won because she hid and killed the last remaining person with a dog she trained. Damn District 10 kids and their obsession with animals.”

Tourmaline sat down on a bench, where they had put their training gear. She reached into her bag and pulled out a rolled bandage and her water bottle. The twins sat on the bench next each other and Gemini sat down in the dirt, fiddling with his bag.

“You wonder what they will do this Hunger Games? Last year was a bit dull. Only lasted two days.” Tourmaline asked.

“Ooh! Maybe a giant underground mine?” suggested one of the twins. 

“Ditto” said the other.

“That would be kind of cool. Or maybe another forest. Those seem popular,” Tourmaline said to the twins. “The Serpent twins in a rainforest, sounds like fate.” She poured the water over her wound to wash away the blood.

“They only allow one guy in the games,” Gemini put in. “But we could probably disguise one of you as a girl.” He laughed. 

“True,” Tourmaline giggled. 

Gemini pulled out a crossbow and started to clean it. It was his most prized possession and he had had to work a couple years just to buy it. He may be considered rich, but you still had to work if you wanted something. He knew that if he were chosen for the Hunger Games he wouldn’t be allowed to bring it along.  _ But there’s a slim chance in that happening _ , he thought.

“Hey!” The Serpent twins said at the same time. It had taken them some time to register the insult. They stared at each other. 

“‘Though…” one said. Then pointing to his brother, “You  _ are _ the girlier one.”

“What? I’m not the one sending flowers to Spinel! Or writing her love letters!” 

The second twin wiggled his eyebrows which were just visible under his hair. 

“I  _ told _ you not to talk about that…” The first twin blushed and punched the second’s arm. 

“Ooh! Unrequited love,” Tourmaline seemed to coo. She had wrapped her arm in bandages and sat down next to her bag. 

“A true Romeo and Juliet,” Gemini nodded his head. “She’s pretty and smart so stop making fun of me, you asses,” replied the first.

“Ah, but you see, young First, she is not that into you” replied Second. The twins’ parents had not bothered to name them individually, so they had named them First and Second. Others preferred to just call them the Serpent twins, as their middle names were both Serpentine, or just call them both Serpent as people thought as them as one individual.

“Is that her now?” Tourmaline pointed behind First. 

“Come on, I ain’t  _ that _ stupid. That trick is ancient,” First complained. 

“Then  _ you _ must be stupid.”

A female voice had suddenly piped in. A short, blue haired girl stood behind First.

“Speaketh the devil and he will come,” smiled Gemini. 

First put his head in his hands as Second pat his back. Tourmaline was laughing and Gemini was grinning. He had finished cleaning his crossbow and it sat in his lap.

“You heard all that didn’t you?” First half asked, half groaned to Spinel. 

“Ah, you mean you announcing your undying love for me?” she giggled. “Yes, yes I have.”

First groaned more, trying to bury his face into his hands. “Just  _ end _ me now, please,” he mumbled into his hands. Spinel patted his shoulder. 

“There just might be things you want to be around for,” she said mysteriously.

“Like what? Something to embarrass me even more?” First asked.

“Meet me at the old oak tree tomorrow, at 9PM. I would rather like to have a conversation with my secret admirer,” Spinel said.

She walked away from them, trying to cover her giggles. First looked up; his face a  blushing mess. 

“Holy shit, dude! Your crush just asked you out!” Second said, excited. 

“She just wanted a conversation like a normal person, Second,” Tourmaline stated.

“Still, how many years have you been sending love letters to her? Two, three? It only took you a couple years to actually talk to her.”

“Shut up” First said meekly. 

“Well, we will see what will happen to poor First tomorrow. But for now, let us get on to training,” Gemini said. 

“I think that’s what I need right now” First said. They stood up. Gemini picked up his newly cleaned crossbow and started loading it, while Tourmaline took spears out of her bag and Second handed his brother a set of dual knives. Each of them had a certain talent: Gemini could use knives and spears, but he was more accurate with a crossbow, and the same went with the others.

At the other side of the field there were several targets. Some were the ordinary bow and arrow ones, and others sandbags shaped like a human. Gemini aimed at a red and white target as accurately as he could, and the others watched silently behind him. He relaxed, took a breath, and shot.

It pierced near the bullseye, in the white circle around it. 

“He shoots, he almost missed, but he just scored!” Tourmaline hooted. He sagged his shoulders and lowered the crossbow _. Not good enough_ , he thought _, it’s all or nothing_. Tourmaline went up next to Gemini holding one of her spears. Gemini stepped back and allowed her to take her turn. Tourmaline devoted her entire life to Games training. She would not take the chance of being unprepared if she was chosen _._ She would win, and she was sure of that. She took a running start and threw her spear with immense concentration and precision.

It pierced right through the heart of a sand dummy, spilling its insides over the ground. Even with an injured arm, it was a direct hit. 

“Limey showing off her skills, as usual,” Second said, impressed. She took a mocking bow and went to retrieve her spear.

“She would beat all of us, for sure,” said Second. The three all believed that was true as she took the spear out of the dummy, forcefully, spewing yet more sand from its body.

“Wish they could give us pigs like last year. It would be a bit more realistic,” Tourmaline said.

The Serpentine twins then both stepped up with their daggers and threw them both at the same target. One pierced the shoulder of the dummy, the other missing entirely.

“You’ve got to work on your aim, big brother,” Second said to First. First’s hand was shaking a little as he went to retrieve the daggers. 

“I think he has other things on his mind than training” Gemini stated. Second nodded, aware at what his brother’s head might be thinking. 

“I think I helped with that. I asked Spinel to meet us at the training grounds today. I’m aware that my brother has had a crush on the poor girl. Thought I might speed things up a little. I was pulling his leg when Spinel said she wasn’t into him.” 

“So she is?” Tourmaline asked. 

“Oh I’m sure,” Second nodded his head. “If not, well, we will see tomorrow.” 

First returned with Gemini’s arrow, along with their daggers. Second passed the arrow to Gemini, and he shoved it into his quiver.

Throughout his entire lifetime knowing the twins, he knew First was probably the more romantic one. Second was more mysterious about the subject. Gemini sat back and let the three practice. He was more in the lazy mood today. He looked around at the giant training field and realised there was quite a lot of people around, mostly on the other side though. People were racing around the field or just trying to improve their sprinting skills. He could barely make out the people on the other side as it was such a large area.

He could faintly see Spinel jogging back to her friends; she was probably training too. The Games was in a few short weeks, and as it drew closer even more people would flood onto the field.

He lay back on the grass and let the warm rays of the sun warm him as he fell asleep.

 

 

  
  


“Wake up, lazy ass!” 

 

Gemini almost jumped up at the sudden noise, a swift kick to his leg  waking him up fully. "W- what?"

It was almost dark, Tourmaline being just a shadowy figure in front of him. He was surprised he was asleep for a long time. "You wiped out during training. I had to stop the twins from pouring sand all over you while you slept".

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You sleep heavy," she said simply with a shrug. Tourmaline put out her hand.

"C'mon.” He took her hand and stood up - she was quite strong, and lifted Gemini up with ease. She had her own bag slung around her shoulders as she handed Gemini's bag back to him, along with his crossbow.

"This has been touched."

"What?"

"My crossbow. It’s been touched."

"Well you need to touch it to move it-"

"You know what I mean."

Gemini sighed. The strings had been loosened. It was useless - he would have to ask Sagittar for help to fix it.

"You know the Serpents are not allowed to touch it. Nor you, for that matter.”

Tourmaline sighed. "It's late, Gem. Just fix it tomorrow.”

"Fine.”

He didn't want to argue with Tourmaline. She sounded so tired and he knew she wasn't the one who broke his bow.

Tourmaline started walking away, Gemini walked quickly to catch up with her.

The district looked eerie when the sun went down - there was a low buzz of electricity. They were headed towards the residential area, consisting of thirty towers, all varying in height. Some people were lucky and lived on the floor above their various shops. The gemstone grinders mostly had the best of it all. 

“It's sort of romantic,” Gemini mumbled.

“What?”

“The city. When it's dark.”

“More like  _ spooky _ . It's like a ghost city. No one’s around.” Tourmaline poked Gemini with her elbow. “Never thought you would be a romantic.”

“I’m not.” Gemini looked away.

“You’re blushing, lover boy,” she teased.

“I'm not!”

“I won’t tell  _ anyone _ ,” Tourmaline promised.

She smiled as she entered their apartment building, but Gemini glanced at the security cameras in the building, nervous with the feeling of being watched. Tourmaline stopped near a wall with various slots in it and opened a small compartment - a mailbox. She took out a small slip of paper and pocketed it.

Gemini had already called the elevator to the building; Tourmaline gave a salute as she headed for the stairs. 

Gemini fingered his crossbow as the rickety elevator headed towards the top. He never liked elevators - he always thought they were going to fall and plummet back towards the earth - but he would never take the thirty flight of stairs to the top. 

The elevator pinged indicating his stop, the doors opened, and he hurriedly got out. There were only three apartments on the top floor - unlike the rest of the building which had ten each. Gemini’s was the farthest from the elevator.

Someone was leaning against his door, smoking a cigarette and not looking particularly pleasant. The smoke disappeared through an open skylight in the ceiling.

“Aries”

The tall dark figure looked up and seemed relieved.

“Damn, Gemini, you know not to stay out late. Ma was worried.”

“She knows I sometimes stay out longer than planned,” he shrugged.

“Still, the streets aren't particularly safe at night.”

“I’m seventeen. Not five, you pale goat.”

Aries pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just...get inside”. 

He opened the door with a keycard for Gemini. “Tell Ma I’m going to the roof, okay?”

“Fine.” Gemini stopped in the doorway and looked back. “You okay, Aries?”

Aries waved him off and shook his head. “Just need some air, y’know?”

Gemini was concerned but didn't want to pry. With one last glance at Aries, he walked into his apartment and closed the door behind him.

He was instantly met by a mass of red hair and glasses.

“Where you been, Gem?”

The boy leaned over him - not by choice, as he was quite taller than Gemini and needed to, to look him in the eyes. He had his hands in the pocket of his pants, which seemed somehow too large for him.

“Do I have to be interrogated everytime I come home late?’

“Aries got you in the way in? I suppose he’s brooding on the roof again?”

“He’s only doing that cause it’s his last year in the draw”

“I’m glad I’m done with it.” He sighed. “You ready for the drawing?”

“As much as I ever will be.” Gemini lifted his crossbow to show his brother.            

“Is Sagittar in?”

“In his room.”

Gemini moved further into the apartment, and his brother went outside into the hallway, boots echoing throughout the empty halls. 

Sagittar’s room was the only one which had a balcony - he was also the only one which didn’t have to share a room with another brother. That didn’t make it any cleaner however - as Gemini found his way to the older brother’s room, it was scattered with unfinished projects and other material used for tinkering. It smelt oddly of smoke.

He was sitting on the balcony, legs up on the rails, sitting on a chair with a cigarette poised in his hands.

Sagittar’s eyes seemed blank as he looked up to the sky.

“You’re home late,” he said in a tired tone.

“Everyone in this house seems to keep track of me.”

Sagittar moved his head to his side. He wasn't looking at him, but didn’t seem to be focused on anything in particular neither.

“You know why we do that.” 

Sagittar took a long drag from the flame in his hand.

Gemini knew Sagittar could be cryptic and would let questions stew in his mind that he didn't know the answer to - he was like a sphinx that didn't care for the solution.

He was half expecting his brother to speak in riddles or use large words like the people at the Capitol but Gemini knew that Sagittar was far too tired for that.

“My bow needs tweaking,” Gemini said to fill the silence in the air.

Sagittar stood up from his perch on the balcony, leaving his cigarette in his mouth as he moved towards Gemini.

Almost all of his brothers were very large (in the tall and muscled sense), and Sagittar was not an exception. He was far taller than Gemini, and he could see that his brother had spent quite a lot of time in the training ground - even though he had not been there for quite some time - but even losing a fraction of his muscle he was still quite a brick wall.

Gemini was tall but would always be a squirt to most of his brothers.

Sagittar lifted the bow from Gemini’s hands and turned away, fingering and fiddling with it.

“I’ll fix it tonight,” was all Sagittar said, placing the bow on one of his various tables and moving back towards his place outside.

Gemini walked into the hallway of his apartment - various doors led to his brothers’ rooms, with a sort of cul-de-sac ending with his mother's room and two bathrooms.

He could see his mother using keys to get into her room. That was the strange thing about her, she locked everything during the night time and made sure her’s was locked while she was at work.

His mother’s hair fell over her face in long black wisps and, compared to her sons, she was a fairly small and thin woman. 

“Mom.”

His mother looked over to him and smiled, her eyes were sunken and forlorn. She always looked like she was going to cry.

He turned away and headed towards his room, interacting with his mother was never more than a few words as she was always tired and there was never really anything to be said between them.

Gemini shared a room with one of his little brothers - something that he did not mind as most of the time his brother would behave and was actually quite interesting.

He walked on and instantly fell onto his messy bed, throwing his training bag onto the floor below him and falling into a quick slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

“Wake up, it’s time! We’re gonna be late, Gemini!”

Gemini awoke to someone pulling at his leg - someone small.

“Taurus...calm down,” Gemini said groggily.

“You have to get up! Ma said you, Aries, Libra, Virgo n’ Scorpio gotta get up.”

“W-what day is it today?”

“16th o’ June-”

“The reaping!” Gemini sat up, “Taurus, why didn’t you tell me that first?”

“Didn’t know it was called that…”

“Okay, okay.” Gemini jumped up, bare-legged in his boxers. “Are the others already up?”

“Aries n’ Scorpio already left but the others are still getting ready.”

Gemini ruffled Taurus’ hair. “Thanks, bud, you’re gonna stay home, eyes glued to the TV right?”

“Of course! I ain't gonna miss a chance of one of my brothers getting into the games!” Taurus excitingly said but he continued in a whispered “but I have a good feeling about you Gemini. I want you to get into the games the most!”

“Oh? Why not Libra or Scorpio? Any of the others?”

“Cause you’re super cool with your crossbow n’ you go training more than anyone-”

“More than Scorpio?”

“Yeah! He’s super competitive an all but started to slow down a bit a lil’ while ago...I think he ‘as a girlfriend,” Taurus wiggled his eyebrows.

“That would be good for him,” Gemini chuckled. “Anyway, I gotta get ready, little T.”

“I’ll leave you alone then, big G.”

Taurus swiftly left the room, knowing full well when his brother needed privacy.

Gemini always liked Taurus. It wasn’t because Taurus basically worshipped him - but because he was genuinely good and was nice to talk too, even if he was eight years old. With Sagittar or Aries, there was always an air of hardness around them while they talked, and it was a nice feeling just being silly with his brother even if the world around him was as serious as it was.

His heart would break if Taurus - or really any of his brothers no matter how silly, serious or otherwise - were in the games. It would leave his life with a void, a hole in his heart.

Gemini shook off his thoughts as he made his way to one of the bathrooms of the apartment.

He couldn't believe it was just two weeks ago he was walking home with Tourmaline, time went too fast around here.

Gemini looked into the mirror, his reflection looked back dark-eyed and excited. The ginger roots of his hair sprouting out of the black tangled mess. He really should of re-dyed his hair for the reaping, but his hair grew too quickly for him to keep up with.

There were multiple dark spots on his arms and chest, healing wounds and bruises from training and fights that scattered his body.  _ If I were in the Games I would have to put up with more than scratches and grazed skin, _ Gemini thought.

He was honestly scared of it. Even if you did win, you could be crippled or traumatised or worse. 

Gemini remembered a victor whos spin was snapped after he fell off a cliff, the second last survivor was torn apart from rabid bears and the victor had no other choice to jump off to get away. They hadn't found him in time so he was paralysed from the neck down.

_ What a way to live. _

He didn't want to think about the option of not winning.

_ Out of the thousands here, what are the chance of them choosing me, anyway? _

He wasn’t very confident.

Focusing back on making himself look presentable, he washed his face and tried to comb his hair, it turning into a straight spiky mess and not a curly mess.

His mother must of left clothes in the bathroom for himself and his brothers, as three sets of clothes were left hanging over the bathtub. Each set was essentially the same, a white long button up shirt, black vest and long black pants, but the thing that set them apart was each set had an embroidered sign onto the vest.

Gemini, of course, had a yellow gemini sign.

He put on his clothes and found out it was quite comfy but a little big. His mother must have paid a lot for these clothes, especially if she was going to do get them for all of his brothers.

Anything for the games.

He didn’t bring anything, you weren’t allowed into the crowd of people with a bag as it could conceal things with malicious content. Even if there were the peacekeepers there, people would still take the chance against them and cause havoc.

Gemini remembered an incident two years ago where a father went crazy as his tiny thirteen-year-old son was selected for the games. The boy was one of the first to die.

Gemini looked out the bathroom window, in the distance, he could see the gigantic practice field, hoards of people were standing on the field or sitting on the bleachers around it. He could see the section on the edge of the field where he practised with Tourmaline and the Serpents.

Everything seemed so small.

He quickly went out of the bathroom and into the hall, avoiding the rest of his brothers and his mother as they sat waiting for the broadcast to appear on their TV.

When he got back he would talk to them, tell them how it went down this time. A lot of the time when something bad happened, like the father-son incident they turn off the broadcast completely and turn it back on when the incident gets dealt with.

_ To try and hide the truth. _

Hopefully, he would have time after to talk to Tourmaline. She always talked about the games, ranted and had theories (wild, Gemini would say) about it. He enjoyed sitting and listening to whatever she had to say about it, though she could be harsh sometimes.

Gemini went out of the apartment, making his way into the elevator.

He pushed his anxiousness aside, focusing his thoughts on the reaping rather than the deathtrap he was currently in.

Gemini made his way out of the building, seeing other people making his way towards the field. Only teenagers like himself were allowed into the field and the bleachers, but that did not stop anxious families from standing around the border, the guards carefully keeping an eye on them.

He approached the guards at the field gate and calmly walked past, giving them a confident nod. 

Many of the kids who were ready for their names to be called, the ones that trained almost every day and that were eager to be in the games, stood near the podium in the middle. The crowd was so extremely thick that he could barely see the podium and small groups sat around the edges, chattering excitingly.

A lot of the younger kids were sitting at the bleachers along with the ones that barely trained for the games, hoping and hoping they would not get in.

On the podium, two giant wheel-looking devices sat on each side, one for the boys and one for the girls. A seat and microphone sat in the middle, separating the two. A big banner that read ‘17th!’ was hooked between the devices.

As Gemini looked around - he couldn’t seem to see Tourmaline nor the Serpents - he saw a dark figure not too far away by himself whom he instantly recognised.

“Hey, Aries!”

His older brother looked up as Gemini jogged his way over to him, Aries looking fidgety and tired. Gemini thought he looked strange in a suit with his hair tied up but the darkness of it suited him.

“I haven't seen anyone else I know in the crowds,” Gemini said to him.

“It’s like a culling, you ever notice that?” Aries said, ignoring Gemini’s last statement. “When they take a selected few out of a flock and kill them. I’m glad it’s my last year, though I feel sorry for you, Gemini”

“What?”

“You have to deal with another year of this bull” Aries chuckled, “or in my case, a goat”

“A lot of people don’t agree with the games” Gemini put simply, shrugging.

“Yes, but don’t you feel it? Something big is gonna happen this games. Something that’s gonna leave a mark. Something that people will try to forget but won’t”

“What are you saying-”

“I had a dream last night. I saw the stars and one out of the twelve of them were missing, I know its a sign, Gemini” Aries hands were shaking. “Something big is gonna go down”

“Aries you need to calm down. Smoking all that toxic stuff does things to your head, this games is gonna be fine”

“Do you promise me, Gem? Do you promise that everything is gonna be okay?”

Gemini had never seen his brother like this, like he was on the edge of a mental breakdown. Aries was always cool and calm, never freaking out. 

He saw the fear in Aries’ green eyes.

“I can-”

“Hello everyone and welcome to the drawing of the seventeenth annual Hunger Games!”

The sudden loudness startled him, everyone had their eyes on the drawer. 

“Calm down Aries, okay? You gotta stay calm” Gemini tried to comfort his brother over the loudness of the speaker.

“I’m calm, I’m calm. I’ll be calm Gemini” Aries tried to stop his hands from fidgeting.

Both of the brothers looked at the podium, seeing a tall woman sitting on the chair with the microphone in her hands.

“I am Aradminta Nelsiani Deplhiana and I am proud to be the drawer of the names this year, along with the escort of the District One tributes, as always”

The crowd went dead silent as soon as she spoke.

The two took a better look at her - Aradminta's look changed each year - and saw what she did to herself this time.

Her hair flowed free down to the floor, barely touching it, it was dyed a bright yellow.  Bangs covered her eyes, Gemini wondering if it was to stop us from seeing her eyes or from her seeing them.

Her legs were crossed and her long fingers held the microphone daintily, long nails painted yellow to match her hair could be seen.

She wore a long yellow one-piece pantsuit, it had no sleeves or straps and it revealed her collarbone. It spread around her and ended at a pair of bright yellow wedge heels.

Various feathers adorned her look, Gemini thought Aradminta looked like a dangerous canary.

“District One has always been my favourite District-” a series of applauding ”-which is why I am betting on this one to win this year. I look into the crowd and see so many of you that would be a proud representation for this District and its people”

Gemini could see the twitch of her mouth as she said that.

“There is sadly only one rule for the drawing, as we know, no volunteering shall be taking place,” she said sadly, continuing in a more excited tone, “Now with that in note and without further ado, it is time to draw the tribute!”

The crowd hooted and whistled in response, eventually settling down as they weren’t allowed to get too rowdy.

Aridminta stood up, she would have towered over everyone even if she was on stage, and made her way to the left of the stage.

“As I always say, ladies first”

She placed a yellow nailed hand onto a crank at the side of the machine, moving the wheel round and round to shake up the enormous amounts of paper that was inside.

The crowd was quiet in anticipation.

Finally, Aradminta seemed pleased on the amount that she shook up the ballets and opened a small door on the side of the wheel. Everyone could see her arm plunging into the pile of paper. She pulled out a small slip and walked back to the centre of the stage.

“The female tribute to represent District One in the seventeenth Hunger Games is-”

She opened her palm and drew in a breath.

“Peridot Soures!” she said excitingly, drawing out the name as she spoke it.

You could hear a pin drop as someone from the bleachers moved through the crowd and made her way on stage.

It was a small girl, she wasn’t shaking and seemed to have a confident stride. The girl had blonde hair that went down to her waist and freckles on her face, a smile sneaked onto her lips.

_ So this must be Peridot,  _ Gemini thought. He had never seen her before.

“Hello Peridot, how old are you?”

“I’m twelve,” she said without a shiver in her voice.

“Twelve-year-old Peridot Soures is the female tribute for District One!”

Aradminta took up Peridot’s arm into the air as a burst of applause started up from the crowd. Gemini looked over to Aries and he looked grim.

“A shame” was all Gemini heard him say over the crowd.

“They drag it out a lot” Gemini stated.

“That’s the capitl for you” Aries replied.

The crowd settled down as Aradminta made her way to the right side of the stage.

“And now, the male tribute” 

She turned the crank and put her arm into the wheel for a second time, drawing out a second small sliver of paper.

She returned to the centre and stood next to Peridot. She still had a big grin on her face from being chosen. 

“The male tribute to represent District One in the seventeenth Hunger Games is-”

She paused for anticipation once more as she looked at the paper.

“Gemini Lovelace!”


	3. Chapter 3

No.  
Gemini’s world started to spin.   
Everything was dead quiet.  
He looked over to Aries. He couldn’t see his brother’s face.  
“Aries-”  
“You have to go”  
I can’t.  
His legs felt like jelly as he slowly made his way through the thick crowd, people moved out of the way.  
This can’t be happening.  
He stepped up onto the podium, everyone was looking at him and he was sure his friends were watching.  
Tourmaline would get a kick out of this.  
Gemini stood on the other side of Aradminta.  
“How old are you, Gemini?”  
He could barely hear her.  
“I-I’m seventeen”  
This has to be a nightmare.  
“Twelve-year-old Peridot Soures and seventeen-year-old Gemini Lovelace are our District One tributes for the seventeenth annual Hunger Games!” Aradminta erupted and held both of their hands up into the air.  
You better wake up.  
“Remember to watch the chariot rides with Peridot and Gemini in just a few short days! Hopefully, this year's costumes will be as good as last years, keep your heads focused on those screens and we will hopefully have an exciting and eventful Hunger Games. Semper vivens in aeternum!”  
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!  
Two capital guards came up to the podium, Aradminta held on to each of their hands as if they were babies learning to walk and she walked down with them escorted by the guards.  
“We are going to the train station and wait there for an hour for friends and family to say their goodbyes” Aradminta looked back at Gemini and Peridot. “Not for the final time, I promise you that,” she said soothingly.  
Stop treating me like a child.  
She led the pair down a path created by the capital, a smooth carpet over the field grass.   
He could hear the people starting to chatter and return home, the guards taking apart the podium, ballot box and banner. It was all so casual.  
Is this what they felt?   
He didn’t want to look back if he saw his friends or brothers his heart would break.   
“I must say, your suit is quite nice”  
The sudden comment made him jump.  
“W-what?”  
“Your suit”  
“Oh... thanks, my mother got it”  
“By the way, since I am going to see a lot of you two for a week, you can call me Minti. I find it less serious than Aradminta and everyone at the capital calls me that anyway”  
“Okay”  
“You're a quiet one, I see”  
Minti turned to Peridot.  
“Your shoes are also fascinating…”  
Gemini tuned out the conversation, he didn’t want to listen about fashion when he was basically being sentenced to the gallows.  
He looked at the sky.  
Is this the last time I see the city?  
He was still holding onto the older woman's hand, something that she didn’t seem to mind. He was afraid to let go, afraid that if he did he would be lost forever.  
A black car was parked outside the field, the train was on the edge of the city and somewhere that Gemini dare not go.   
Minti opened the back door for the two, Peridot sliding in. Gemini was hesitant but he knew he had no choice if he refused he would be imprisoned.  
He didn’t know which was worse.  
Sliding into the back seat with Peridot, Minti closed the door for him as she herself sat in the front of the car.  
“So, I guess I’m stuck with you for a teammate” Peridot looked him up and down.  
“Am I not what you wanted?” his voice flat and only replied to be friendly.  
“Well, it’s good that your older and well, you are quite...big” Peridot replied.  
“I-I’m not fat,” Gemini said, looking away.  
“No no no!” she shook her head. “Like in the tall muscular way. It’s good i got paired up with someone like you”  
“You don’t know me, I could betray you the minute your back is turned”  
“But you won’t”  
“What?”  
“You won’t betray me because you don’t seem like those huge confident types. You probably have like, a pet lizard or something. You almost blacked out when you were walking out of the training field”  
“Something like that” he replied.   
Honestly, who was he kidding? How could he kill little kids in the arena like Peridot? How could he kill anyone at all? He trained because he had too, not because he was expecting to be put in the games and slaughter innocent lives. Gemini wasn’t a pacifist but he didn’t understand the point of pointless brutality. He just accepted the Games as it was, there was nothing he could do to change that. He never watched it with his family, just hung out with Sagittar and his smoke in his room.  
Gemini looked out the window of the car, resting his head on the windowsill watching the city speed by.  
“Now I’m really excited about your stylist this year, kids. I’ve known him for many years and put a word in about him so he could finally style for District One. I’m sure you two will love him” Minti started.  
“I’m sure it will be amazing, Minti. I loved all the chariot clothes last year, especially the District Four one, though District One wasn’t that far behind” Peridot replied.  
Minti clasped her hands together. “Yes, the dresses were absolutely dreamy”  
Gemini didn’t know whether to be disgusted or not that they were talking about clothes at a time like this, but maybe Peridot was secretly shaking on the inside about the Games and talking about clothes helped her cope?  
He had really no idea about anything anymore.  
Gemini let the two talk about clothes for the rest of the trip until they had to get off at the train station, the driver waving them off as he drove away from the group.  
Guards waited at the front of the station building, he had never seen this part of the city before. In the distance, he saw the Capitol. A speck in the distance.  
“Come along now” Minti directed the two.  
The yellow lady held up something Gemini had not seen before - a loose string around her neck with a card - and swiped it against the door of the building. The guards gave her a nod.  
A memory formed in Gemini’s head, one that he tried to forget numerous times. He remembered his father, excitingly saying to his pregnant mother that the Capitol had invited him with business. His father was one of the most well-known gem cutters at the time and he guessed the Capitol had needed him for a reason he never understood. His father had to catch the train to the Capitol and he had never seen him again.  
Now it’s taking me.  
The trio stepped into the station, finding it surprisingly cool inside, Gemini could not help but shiver. A kiosk for tickets sat empty next to the door, multiple seats that were attached to the wall. The room was dusty and light flooded through the window lighting up the small room, Gemini found it insanely creepy.  
“You have one hour for your friends and relatives to come to say their goodbyes, they know where to come and as soon as they ID themselves with the guards they can come into the station” Minti stated.  
So they waited.  
They only needed to wait ten minutes before a pair showed up - Peridots parents - leaving Gemini sitting on one of the dusty chairs while the family talked.  
It was mostly whispers, hugs and a few tears, not because their child was most likely going to die but because she had even gotten into the games at all.  
He came to the conclusion that she was an only child, assuming so because no other family members showed up and they did not mention other children.  
Both her parents seemed quite muscular (Were they soldiers from the war?) and not mousy in the slightest, unlike Gemini’s mother.  
This went on for a few minutes before the station door opened a second time, revealing three puffed and tired friends.  
“We rode here on our bikes as fast as we-”  
Tourmaline was interrupted as she spoke, caught by Gemini in a swift hug.  
“You gonna give us one too?” Second joked.  
“It took us ages to ride here on our bikes” First added.  
Gemini unwrapped himself from Tourmaline and gave the twins a combined hug, wrapping each arm around them.  
“I-I was just joking..” Second said, but still accepted the hug anyway.  
“I can’t believe you got in the games, buddy,” the other twin said excitedly.  
“I know I know, it’s all happening so fast. I’m still processing”  
He unwrapped his arms from the two boys.  
Tourmaline was being uncharacteristically quiet as she watched the three.  
“Did you see my family coming?”  
“I’m sure they heading this way right now” Tourmaline spoke up, waving her hand as if to brush the thought away. “I got you something. The guards checked it so it’s allowed. Don’t want the Capitol dragging my ass out of my home because of helping illegally”  
In Tourmaline’s worn hands, she held a black box.  
This was unlike her to give anything to anyone, but he guessed it was a special occasion after all.  
“Damn, now we feel like asses for not getting anything” First spoke up.  
Gemini took the box and pocketed it, he would open it on the train.  
“Thank you, Tourmaline”  
“It’s really the least I could do” she replied.  
“Aw c’ mon Limey, don’t get all soppy on us” Second put in.  
She replied by punching him in the arm.  
While the Serpants were distracted, she put a hand on Gemini’s shoulder.  
“Come home. Win”  
The way she stared straight into Gemini’s eyes and the cold of her voice made a shiver go down his spine.  
“Let’s go, Snakes”  
The girl suddenly turned around and dragged the twins out of the door, much to the resistance of the green haired boys.  
He now stood alone until he realised the silence.  
Peridot’s parents had left as well.  
“They don’t like silence, my parents” Peridot’s small voice filled the room.  
“That’s why they didn’t stay?”  
“At least mine came”  
She moved towards the door of the train.  
“It’s gonna be interesting, Gemini. Real interesting”  
With that, she opened the door and headed into the train.  
The boy sat down.  
Ten minutes went by, then ten more.  
Waiting was agony.  
Every tick of the clock pounded against his skull in that small room.  
There were fifteen minutes left when he glanced at the clock, again.  
Fifteen minutes before he would have to go through those train doors and into his death sentence.  
He was starting to lose hope, but as he stood up, the door opening for the last time that day.  
Three figures yet again walked into that room.  
His brothers had come.  
Without a word, Gemini ran to them but hesitated at the hug.  
All three of them had the air of death around them as something bad had happened.  
“Mom had a breakdown” Leo broke the silence. He had taken off his glasses, his eyes looked red.  
“We had to take her to the doc, sorry for the wait” Aries continued, his tie in disarray and his hair looked windblown and untied.  
Sagittar had a strong smell of tobacco and sweat.  
All Gemini did was hug the three, no other words needed to be said for him to convey what he needed to say.  
And they sat there together in the dim room for the rest of what time could allow.


End file.
